Description and Brand Names

US Brand Name

Descriptions

Nafarelin is a man-made version of a hormone that is similar to the one normally released from the hypothalamus gland in the brain. Nafarelin nasal spray is used for the treatment of:

Central precocious puberty (CPP), a condition that causes early puberty in boys (before 9 years of age) and in girls (before 8 years of age).

Endometriosis, a painful condition caused by extra tissue growing inside or outside of the uterus (womb).

When given regularly to boys and girls experiencing early puberty, nafarelin slows down the development of genital areas in both sexes and breast development in girls. This medicine delays puberty in a child only as long as the child continues to take it.

When given regularly to women, nafarelin prevents the growth of tissue caused by endometriosis in adult women during treatment and for 6 months after treatment is discontinued. Reducing the amount of estrogen in the body is one way of treating endometriosis.

Suppressing estrogen can cause thinning of the bones or slowing of growth. This is a problem for adult women whose bones are no longer growing like the bones of children. Slowing the growth of bones is a positive effect for girls and boys whose bones grow too fast when puberty begins too early. Boys and girls may benefit by adding inches to their adult height when nafarelin causes their bones to grow at the proper and expected rate for children.